5 homeless after early morning Corentyne fire

A family of five is now homeless after an early morning fire destroyed their two-storey home at Number 67 Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Thursday.
The blaze, which was reported at about 02:00h, destroyed the four-bedroom building occupied by 41-year-old Gitanjali Sukrah, her 37-year-old husband Sunil, and their three children, ages 12, 11, and nine.
Sukrah said her husband had returned home around midnight and later rested on the veranda because of the hot weather. She said that her husband had been smoking and put out the cigarette.
“And when he smoke, he throw the cigarette end out. And when the cigarette breeze blow, it catch on the seine that was at the side of the house. Yesterday [Wednesday] he bought gas to load in the boat to go fishing,” she explained.
Sukrah said gasoline being stored at the property subsequently ignited, resulting in a series of explosions. According to her, there were more than 15 five-gallon containers of gasoline.
Meanwhile, next door, her father, Deonarine Subramani, was asleep when the explosions began.
“Like, 10 minutes after that, we hear something explode, like a gas. So, I tell my wife, ‘I don’t know if you heard that, but I am going to see’. And then every five minutes, something explode. So, now we start to smell the smoke in the house. So, when we open the door and come out, there is fire; the house is on fire,” Subramani said.
With the neighbouring property also threatened, Subramani and others used water, including a pressure washer, in an effort to prevent the flames from spreading.
Meanwhile, Sukrah said calls were made for the fire service, but by the time they arrived, the fire had already engulfed the house.
She said that everything the family owned was lost.
“I don’t know what is next gonna happen… I don’t know. I am penniless right now. No money, nothing,” she sobbed.
Three vehicles that were removed from the yard were damaged during the haste to get them to safety.
Investigations are continuing.